The clampdown on the Bank Asya first started with a defamation campaign run by pro-government media outlets and was later followed by a claim by Interior Minister Efkan Ala, who asserted that the bank had made extraordinary profits on the foreign currency market. All these allegations were refuted by the bank, which published their currency transactions; the central bank has confirmed that there has been no wrongdoing by the bank.
TÜSİAD, just like the [Hizmet] community’s TUSKON, has voiced the concern of possible fouls likely to be committed against the judiciary. As a matter of fact, these concerns have proved right for now with the executive seizing the judiciary.
Ala’s remarks were widely interpreted as a reference to Bank Asya, a participation bank affiliated with the Hizmet movement, which the government has tried to scapegoat through conspiracy theories to evade corruption allegations. Some news stories broke soon after Ala’s claims, reporting that Bank Asya’s accounts were being scrutinized for misconduct.
Gold mining company Koza Altın A.Ş., the owner of Bugün daily and Kanal Türk TV station, had its activities halted on Tuesday in Çukuralan goldfield, one of the company’s five major gold mines, in a move that has been perceived as the most recent example of the government’s exploitation of inspections and red tape to put pressure on those with critical views.
Earlier reports in the Turkish media had claimed that the government had mulled over a comprehensive investigation into Bank Asya following an ongoing corruption and bribery case. The papers cited the Hizmet movement — with which Bank Asya is affiliated — as the hand behind the police operations into persons close to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The same reports implied a retaliatory attack on Bank Asya over alleged abuses within the bank.
Since Turkey kicked off a strategic initiative to improve its commercial relations with Africa in 2003, this extra attention has resulted in an increased trade volume with the continent. Beninese President Thomas Yayi Boni said Africa also sees Turkey from a strategic perspective, noting that Turkey is one of Benin’s high-priority partners.
Hidayet Kadiroglu, the CEO of Elvan Food, one of the major companies in the chocolate and candy industry said that their exports extended to 130 countries thanks to the Turkish schools all over the world. Kadiroglu stated that they were able to establish factories in first Azerbaijan and then Egypt; they had the opportunity to stretch out to Asian and African markets.
CUMALİ ÖNAL, İSTANBUL The second day of a global trade and investment summit in İstanbul saw increased interest from African companies in Turkish markets, with some major deals in the works. Organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON), the World Trade Summit opened its doors to visitors from around the world on […]
The Turkish schools around the globe have been making great effort for Izmir’s EXPO 2020 win. The schools and businessmen have taken action so that Bureau of International Expositions committee opts for Turkey in the voting to take place in Paris on November 27th. “What is lost with Olympics can be made up for in EXPO,” Fethullah Gulen had earlier said.
The Confederation of Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) organized a meeting in Moscow on Thursday that brought together businesswomen from Russia and Turkey as part of its attempts to establish closer economic ties between the two countries. The businesswomen held talks to seek out business opportunities during the program.
BUĞRA KARDAN Turkish-Nigerian mutual trade could grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years as businesspeople from the two countries begin to show signs of greater interest in building partnerships and mutual investments. The African country’s deputy chief of mission in Ankara, Foluso Oluwole Adeshida, accompanied by the deputy head of the Nigerian Association […]
Huge trade and investment potential exists between Pakistan and Turkey and Dr Muhammad Iqbal University will be established in Lahore with Turkish collaboration. This was stated by Mr Taner Kocyigit, Secretary General Pak-Turk Businessmen Association (PTBA), while addressing members of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) on Monday. Highlighting the objectives of the […]
A business delegation of Houston-based companies is currently visiting İstanbul in a program organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) to discuss expanding trade ties and business opportunities with their Turkish counterparts. The visit comes on the heels of the recently launched direct flights between Houston and İstanbul by Turkey’s national flag […]
Ali H. Aslan, Washington D.C. If, when I began working in Washington 16 years ago, someone had come up to me and said, “The day will come when nearly 50 senators and representatives from the US Congress will participate in a Turkish gathering,” I would have said he was dreaming. And if someone had also […]